ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · pitcher · stem · bound · hand · prune · dip · content

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — the amount
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — happy
  15. stem — to come from
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — to sink
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com